Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a device and a method for remote maintenance of an electronically controllable prosthesis.
(2) Description of Related Art
Electronically controllable prostheses are known, for example in the form of leg prostheses with an artificial knee joint as shown in Med. Orth. Tech. 117 (1997), pages 31 to 35. In these prostheses, the control parameters are determined and programmed in dependency of movement data that characterize a movement of the wearer of the prosthesis. However, to set the control data for an optimum gait pattern it is necessary for an orthopedics technician to observe the patient wearing the prosthesis while he or she is walking and to set the control parameters in dependency of these observations. The prosthesis is then controlled with the optimum control data determined during the observations.
There is a problem in that changes can occur to the walking behaviour of the prosthesis wearer during daily use of the prosthesis, for example the gait pattern changes as a result of changes to the weight of the prosthesis wearer or when other shoes are worn. The prosthesis is then no longer set optimally and the prosthesis wearer must have the orthopedic technician carry out a new setting in order to be able to walk comfortably. This takes time and is a problem for the prosthesis wearer.
The task of the invention is to provide a device and a process which simplifies maintaining and resetting an electronically controllable prosthesis.
The task is solved by means of a device for remote maintenance of an electronically controllable prosthesis whereby the prosthesis has a controller 11 for detecting movement data characterizing a movement of the prosthesis wearer and for outputting of control data to the prosthesis, wherein the remote maintenance device 20 comprises a first data transmission device 21, which can be linked to the controller 11 of the prosthesis 1, through which movement and/or control data can be transmitted bidirectionally between the controller 11 of the prosthesis and the first data transmission device 21, a second data transmission device 22 for transmitting movement and/or control data to a remotely located remote control unit 23 and for receiving data from the remote control unit 23 and a storage device 24 for storing movement and/or control data and wherein the remote control unit 23 is linked to the second data transmission device 22 via a data transmission network.
The invention also provides a method for remote maintenance of an electronically controllable prosthesis with the steps:
a) detecting data characterizing the operation of the prosthesis while the prosthesis is being worn;
b) transmitting the detected data to a remote maintenance device 20 comprising a storage and evaluation device;
c) accessing the data stored in the storage and evaluation device through a remote control unit 23 via a data transmission network;
d) assessing and, where necessary, updating the detected data;
e) transmitting the updated data to the storage and evaluation device via the data network; and
f) transmitting the updated data from the storage and evaluation device 20 to the prosthesis.
Preferred embodiments of the invention provide a device comprising one or more of the following: a controller that controls an evaluation and/or transmission of the movement and/or control data in dependence on a preset program; one or more rechargeable batteries and the remote maintenance 20 comprising a device for charging the batteries when the prosthesis is connected to the device 20; an externally controllable clock 25 to enable synchronization with a a clock provided in the prosthesis; a display/input unit 26 for displaying the data concerning the prosthesis and for entering commands; and a controller designed so that it initiates communication via the second data transmission device 22 with the remote control unit 23 if the movement and/or control data deviate from default data. In other preferred embodiments, the remote maintenance takes place via the telephone network, and/or the prosthesis detects movement data over a preset period of time and these movement data are evaluated in the storage and evaluation device 20 and the data characterizing the operation of the prosthesis is corrected using the movement data; and/or the remote maintenance is carried out when the prosthesis has been removed.
Further characteristics and expediencies of the invention result from the description of an embodiment by means of the figures.